Berlin
Other smaller explosions on the blast site
Clearing vehicle of the Berlin police near the fire site at the blast site in Grunewald. photo
© Fabian Sommer/dpa
The fire brigade’s work on the Berlin police’s exploded and burned-down detonation site will continue for many more days. The area is confusing, there are large cartridges everywhere.
Even on the sixth day of the fire at the blast site in Berlin’s Grunewald, the situation is still dangerous. The Avus motorway, which is about 500 meters from the blast site, is expected to remain closed throughout Tuesday, a fire department spokesman said.
The actual blasting site will still not be entered. “It’s still too dangerous and progress is difficult.” The fire brigade cools the ground and the ammunition scattered by the explosions and some old World War II bombs only with a fire fighting vehicle and firefighting robots.
The situation is dynamic
On the night of Tuesday, smaller fires were seen again on the edge of the restricted area and smaller explosions were heard. “The situation is still dynamic,” said a spokesman. Embers would flare up again and again. Firefighters extinguished the fires from the edge of the 550-meter exclusion zone.
On Tuesday, the area was already significantly cooler than on Monday morning, when temperatures of 140 degrees were still measured. But some spots are still very warm, it said. If the temperatures stay below 60 degrees permanently, it is possible to reduce the blocking circuit, the spokesman said. Then a release of the highway is possible.
The police had stored 30 tons of old grenades, ammunition and confiscated fireworks at the blasting site. The fire broke out on Thursday night and triggered violent explosions and a forest fire. The cause is not yet known.
It is unclear when the fire investigators from the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) can go to the site to investigate whether it could be arson. The fire brigade expects that extinguishing and cooling will take a few more days. The site must then be secured and the remains of explosives and ammunition removed.